Synthesis of steroids by cylindrocarpon radicicola



United States Patent SYNTHESIS OF STEROIDS BY CYLINDROCARPON RADI CI COLA Richard W. Thoma, Somerville, and Josef Fried, New Brunswick, N .J assignors to Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Virginia No Drawing. Filed Apr. "15, 1957, Ser. No. 652,654

"3 Claims. (Cl. 195-51) This invention relates to, and has for its object the provision of, a highly advantageous method of producing 9a-halo-l 1,6 hydroxy (or 11 keto) androstenediones. These steroids are disclosed in a US. application of Josef Fried, Serial No. 469,848, filed November 18, 1954.

It has been found that 9a-halo-11B-hydroxy (or 11- keto)-progesterones can be converted to their corresponding 9a-halo-1lfi-hydroxy (or 11-keto)-androstenediones (e.g., 9a-fluoro-A -androstene-1118-o1-3,l7-dione) by subjecting these progesterones to the action of enzymes of Cylindrocarpon radz'cicola. The action of the enzymes can be utilized either by bringing together, in an aqueous nutrient medium, the steroid, oxygen and enzymes of non-proliferating cells of Cylindrocarpon radicicola, or (preferably) by including the steroid in an aerated culture of the microorganism.

In general, the conditions of culturing Cylindrocarpon radicicola for the purposes of this invention are (except for the inclusion of the steroid to be oxidized) the same as those of culturing fungi for the production of antibiotics or organic acids; thus, Cylindrocarpon radicicola is grown in contact with (in or on) a suitable nutrient medium in the presence of oxygen (air). A suitable nutrient medium essentially comprises a source of nitrogenous factors and an assimilable source of carbon and energy. The latter may be a carbohydrate (such as sucrose, molasses, glucose, maltose, starch or dextrin) and/ or the steroid itself. Preferably, however, the medium includes an assimilable source of carbon and energy in addition to the steroid.

The source of nitrogenous factors may be organic (e.g., soybean meal, corn steep liquor, meat extract, distillers solubles, peptones and/or yeast extract) or synthetic (i.e., composed of simple, synthesizable organic and inorganic compounds such as ammonium salts, alkali nitrates, amino acids or urea).

Among the 9a-halo-11fl-hydroxy (or 11-keto)-progesterones which may be converted into useful androstene derivatives by the practice of this invention may be mentioned the 9a-halo-llfl-hydroxyprogesterones (e.g., 9ozfluoro-l lfi-hydroxyprogesterone) and the 9a-halo-ll ketoprogesterones (e.g., 9a-fluoro-1l-ketoprogesterone).

The following examples are illustrative of the invention (all temperatures being in centigrade):

EXAMPLE 1 9a-flu0ro11fl-hydroxyandrostenedione (a) Fermentation.--Surface growth from a two-weekold agar slant (prepared from dextrose, 40 g.; neopeptone, 10 g.; agar, 15 g.; and distilled water to make one liter) culture of Cylindrocarpon radicicola A.T.C.C. No. 11,011 (obtainable from the American Type Culture Collection, Washington, DC), is washed ofl with 5 ml. of aqueous 0.01% Duponol (a wetting agent). Aliquots of the suspension are transferred to five 250-ml. conical flasks, each containing 50 ml. of the following medium (A):

Dextrose Corn steep liquor 6 4 a 4 3 Patented Oct. 4, 1960 CaCO, 2.5 Yeast extract 2.5 Soybean oil 2.2

Distilled water to one liter.

Adjusted to pH 7.0 and sterilized for 30 min. at 120.

The flasks so inoculated are incubated at 25 with rotary mechanical shaking in a circle of radius 2 inches at 280 r.p.m. After 66 hours, a 10% (VOL/vol.) transfer is made to 38 flasks of the same medium A. Incubation of the second flask stage is as with the first. After 47 hours, 475 mg. of 9a-fluoro-l lfi-hydroxyprogesterone is added in 19 ml. of methanolic solution (0.5 ml. per flask). Forty-eight hours after the steroid is added, the contents of the flasks are filtered and flasks and pad are washed. The volume of filtrate including wash is 2000 ml.

(5) Isolation of 9a flzwro 11,8 hydroxycmdrostenedime- The culture filtrate is extracted with three 700 ml. portions of chloroform and the combine-d extracts evaporated to dryness in vacuo. The crystalline residue is triturated with acetone and the resulting crystals recrystallized from acetone. Pure 9u-fluoro1lfl-hydroxyandrostenedione is obtained which has the following properties, identical with those of an authentic sample: M.P. about 260-262"; +177 (0., 0.49 in CHCl w g, 237111,. (e=17,100); 2 3.04, 5.76, 6.11,.

Analysis.-Calcd. for C H O F (320.39): C, 71.22; H, 7.86. Found: C, 71.54; H, 7.82.

In a similar manner, by substituting 9a-chloro-11B- hydroxyprogesterone or 9u-bromo-1lfl-hydroxyprogesterone for the 9u-fluoro-1lfi-hydroxyprogesterone in the procedure of Example 1, 9a-chloro-1l/i-hydroxyandrostenedione and 9a-bromo-1lfi-hydroxyandrostenedione are obtained, respectively.

EXAMPLE 2 9auoro-l 1 -ket0androstenedi0ne Following the procedure of Example 1, but substituting 475 mg. of 9a-fluoro-1l-ketoprogesterone for the 9a-fl1101'0-11 fl-hydroxyprogesterone, there is obtained cfiuoro-l l-keto androstenedione.

Similarly, 9a-chloro-1l-ketoprogesterone and 9abromo-ll-keto-progesterone can be converted to 9occhloro-ll-ketoandrostenedione and 9a-bromo-ll-ketoandrostenedione, respectively.

The invention may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A process for preparing a compound selected from the group consisting of 9a-halo-1lfl-hydroxyandrostenedione and 9a-halo-1l-ketoandrostenedione, which comprises subjecting a steroid selected from the group con sisting of 9a-halo-llfi-hydroxyprogesterone and 9a-haloll-ketoprogesterone to the actions of enzymes of Cylindrocarpon radicicola in the presence of oxygen and recovering the resulting androstenedione.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the steroid reactant is 9u-fluoro-1IB-hydroxyprogesterone.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the steroid reactant is 9m-fluoro-1l-ketoprogesterone.

Fried et al. May 1, 1956 

1. A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF 9A-HALO-11B-HYDROXYANDROSTENEDIONE AND 9A-HALO-11-KETOANDROSTENEDIONE, WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING A STEROID SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF 9A-HALO-11B-HYDROXYPROGESTERONE AND 9A-HALO11-KETOPROGESTERONE TO THE ACTIONS OF ENZYMES OF CYLINDROCARPON RADICICOLA IN THE PRESENCE OF OXYGEN AND RECOVERING THE RESULTING ANDROSTENEDIONE. 